I was on Facebook and just reading the various posts of my friends and I saw one that made me smile. A friend of mine showed pictures of her and her husband celebrating their anniversary. I love looking at pictures that people share of their families on Facebook and other social media. It is so nice to see lovely and fun pics and pictures of celebrations, especially with so much turmoil in our world.

Anyway, as I looked at the pictures she shared, I really noticed her husband. He was such a handsome man and there was no doubt that he loved his wife. I applaud him. I watched his reactions more than hers. But when I noticed my friend, I saw that she was glowing and basking in the love he had for her. She was like a flower that blossomed and never wilted. He had the right kind of nourishment to keep his flower blooming always.

That is what made me give this tribute to a man who truly loves his woman and is not ashamed to show it in any stage of their lives. I’ve been privileged to be married to that kind of man. We are both slower and arthritis has caught up with both of us. But there is still a light that comes in his eyes when he sees me each day. My heart still races when I see him. He is still my best confidant. He brings his money home and has never made a detour with it. I have never been insecure about his love for me, never. He’s never given me a cause to doubt his love either.

So, to all the men who have a woman that they truly love and cherish, go for it. She’ll blossom and others will ask her why she looks so good? They will ask her how old she is and when she tells them that she is much older than her years indicate, she’ll whisper “That’s because my man must be doing something right. He’s a great gardener.” Nuf Said!

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It’s day three of the new year and I am excited about it. But this morning when I got up my knee said, “Take it slow.” Well, I thought I was taking it slow, but not slow enough. So here I sit waiting on my pain medicine to kick in.

Arthritis for all the medical terminology and explanations about it HURTS! I used to power walk, exercise, and swim all the time. Oh yes, I used to run, too. Now I hobble to the car wondering why the car keeps moving further and further away from me. I still try to lift those 5 pound weights for my upper arms. I try to do 10 lifts at a time. (I count by 2s). The last time I got in the 3 foot shallow end of the pool, I nearly drowned (not really) because my one arm would not go forward like it used to. (I used to do a mean dog paddle). Running is a fantasy I have now.

Well, even though things have changed and I am older, I am still full of zest and life; it’s just that my body didn’t get the memo! No matter I am still grateful for each new day I wake up. I am glad for each year God gives me. I am glad that there are days when my arthritis doesn’t hurt so bad!

It’s a new year and new challenges abound. Let’s face them with God on our side. Oh yes, I have learned that getting old isn’t for the weak, it’s for the strong! Here’s to a wonderful 2018 for all of us.

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Well, today is my birthday. I am 64 years old and I feel much younger than that, until I walk on my sore knee.

I am very glad and happy for every year God gives me. So with that in mind here are a few statistics and facts from 1953, my birth year.

The Value of a dollar in 1953 –

U.S. Inflation Rate, 1953-2016 ($100) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 3.55% per year. Prices in 2016 are 798.9% higher than prices in 1953. In other words, $100 in the year 1953 is equivalent to $898.90 in 2016, a difference of $798.90 over 63 years.

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Well, I am looking out of a window as I write this particular blog and I confess that just a few minutes ago, my chest was full of anxiety and a bit of anger. That’s nothing new, because at times that happens to all of us. I was truly full of anxiety. But just after that feeling began to get the better of me I saw a statistic online that spoke of anxiety in America and what it does and costs. Check it out:

“Anxiety disorders in the United States are the number one mental health problem among women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men. Some say the United States is now the most anxious nation in the world. The land of the Stars and Stripes has become the country of stress and strife. This is a costly achievement. Stress-related ailments cost the nation $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity, while our usage of sedative drugs keeps skyrocketing; just between 1997 and 2004, Americans more than doubled their spending on anti-anxiety medications like Xanax and Valium, from $900 million to $2.1 billion. The Journal of the American Medical Association cited a study that indicates an exponential increase in depression. People of each generation in the twentieth century “were three times more likely to experience depression” than people of the preceding generation.”

Wow, that really something. So, what does that depressing statistic have to do with bloggers? I’m glad you asked. As I see it, bloggers all around the world talk about subjects vast and dear to them. There are blogs that I read which actually cause me to have a different perspective on a subject. The blogs I sometimes read help me to finish my thoughts. Other blogs I read change my point of view. All of the blogs I read have a calming effect on me, as I read the earnest words of people just like me who have problems and heartaches just as I do. It’s at those times that I realize again that we’re all just people who through blogging voice our opinions, gets things off of our chests, help others with humorous quips and sayings or with prayers and encouragement.

So, my wish to all of us bloggers is that we can throw away some of the meds we use to just make it through the day. Let’s blog and talk about it more and then see the results. Thank all of you for what you contribute to my life. Here’s to all of you bloggers – BLOG ON! You are helping countless others like me to relax.

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As I write this post, my husband is standing in the kitchen preparing breakfast for us this morning. I am thankful for that. He’s been the cook for more than 30 years now in our marriage. I am thankful for that. He started last week preparing Thanksgiving dinner, I am thankful for that.

My grandson is out of school the rest of the week. I am sure he’s thankful for that! He’s asleep in his bed and warm. I am thankful for that. My children are alive and doing well. I am truly thankful for that.

My mom is still here with us. I am thankful for that. My sisters and their families and my brother are doing well, I am thankful for that.

Many of you know of the hard and trying and sometimes frightening experience my one daughter had with ovarian cancer last year and part of this year. She is at work today and doing well. The doctor checked her out a couple of months ago and she is still cancer free. I AM VERY THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR THAT! She got on my nerves, too. I am thankful for that!

I have a reasonable portion of health and strength and can move around and help myself. I’m real thankful for that. I think you get the point and I am sure that you, too, are thankful for a lot of wonderful blessings.

Finally, remember that thanksgiving is more than just one day a year. EVERYDAY IS A DAY OF THANKSGIVING! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

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I want to blog about persons in my life who I want to pay tribute to. I want to pay homage to these persons because they have been a positive influence in my own growth and development and somehow they have helped me get where I am today. Some of these people I know very well and love them. Others, I know about and they have also had an impact on my life. Enjoy!

My Brother: Gunnery Sgt. Roy Lee Payne, Jr. (1949 – 1980)

Roy was the only brother for many years among five sisters. I am sure that brothers everywhere who only have sisters for siblings can relate to this situation. He was extremely intelligent and excelled at most everything he did. In fact, in 1969 just after graduating from high school he became a manager at the then Bell Telephone Company. That was a rarity for African-Americans during that time. He was an electronics expert, too.

Roy was a boy, teen and man like any other. It’s just that as he matured he knew the direction he wanted to go in. When I was in college, and he was still in the Marines, he would send a $10.00 allotment check to me and my sister. Now $10.00 may not be a lot today, but in 1973 it bought a lot of treats for us. All of us were proud of him. He lavished my mother and father with gifts while he was stationed in Korea at that time.

He married in 1972 and he and his wife had two children. He remained in the Marines and was raising his family while in the service. Tragic was his end: He was taking a friend to work one regular day and his car was hit by a man driving drunk. My brother was killed instantly. In fact everyone in both cars including the drunk driver was killed that day, except for one person.

I tell that story not to sadden anyone, but rather to encourage everyone that family and friends are precious and should never be taken for granted. He was generous and doting over his family. Let’s do the same for our family and friends.

Cute story about my brother: He loved to eat scrambled eggs, toast and whatever meat he wanted, ham, bacon, etc. He would make his food and have it on a big plate. He had 4 slices of toast, about 6 scrambled eggs and his meat of choice. He’d also have a soda or something to drink. Roy would come into the living room and sit down, put that plate of his on the arm of the chair and just seconds later we would all hear him yell is dismay. The plate would fall over with all of that delicious food! unashamed, he would pick it all up, put it back in the plate and eat it all! Now,, if that happened only once, it would be an oops story, but it happened 9 out of 10 times, and each time, after he yelled, he would pick all of his food off the floor and eat it. HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, ROY!

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The way I see it is, are the most ‘popular’ or well-known issues of our lives worse because of what “experts” and “celebrities” say and how they feel about it? Can it be that for the sake of being with the “in crowd” (old expression) I sacrifice my own convictions, whether popular or not?

Does it really matter what this professional says about what I ought to do? Does it really matter about what ‘superstar someone’ says publicly. Am I to change how I feel or become intimidated about how I really feel, just to be counted with these people, people who don’t even know I exist? I DON’T THINK SO. If you had the good teachings of your parents that’s advice you can take.

The old widow woman down the street in your neighborhood, who still plants her flowers ever year, who has raised all of her children successfully, and has a lot of grandchildren who come by and love her is better able to give me advice for my life regarding the issues that come up, than anyone who doesn’t even know me.

That man who lost his family because of an addition and made up his mind he wasn’t going to live any longer captive to it, who went into rehab and with the support of professionals who knew what to do to help him, can better tell me about my struggles than well-known strangers in the news.

Trials and troubles are kindred in this world, they happen to everyone. No one is exempt. But I value the advise of those who have endured and come out the better for what they endured than the three words coming from notoriety: LIGHT, CAMERA, ACTION! That’s how I see it.

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I’ve been out of it for a couple of months, due to, well due to life. I have read your blogs and smiled and laughed and sighed and even cried with some of you. It’s just that I haven’t had the time to really stop and comment regularly. No matter. I am glad for this short break to post on my own blog.

I have wanted to change the name of my blog from It’s Worth Editing for a while now, but couldn’t think of anything suitable until about a month ago. I mean I wasn’t looking for anything bizzare, but just something a little different. I don’t know when I came up with it, but I thought, “Well, it’s my point of view; it’s how I see it; it’s even how I roll, as the kids would say. So, I’ve decided to make a small change in the title of my blog from It’s Worth Editing to “How I See it-the Editor’s point of view.”

Yeah, I realize that there aren’t any bells and whistles going off, but I also want to know what you think. So, let me know if it’s okay with you or I am open to other suggestions, too. Especially from those of you who have read and responded to my blog. Help me out guys. Thanks.

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We gather on Memorial Day with our families and friends, and food and celebrate and laugh and talk and just enjoy ourselves. Many of us are glad that we get a day off of work. Others are glad to sleep in a little later than normal; still others go about their day doing what they do.

But on this Memorial Day, let’s make it a point to stop and reflect on all of those who gave their lives so that we can sleep in a little later, so that we can gather with our family, friends, and food all around this great nation and relax. Reflect on the fact that we have laws that protect our freedoms that may not be in other countries. Reflect on the fact that we have the privilege to worship God. Reflect on the great privileges we have and please never take them for granted.

More than all of that, reflect and bow in humble gratitude at those men and women who gave their all so that we can have this wonderful freedom. It cost so many all, now let’s all give praise and thanks to God for these brave ones who made it all possible.

Remember we promised not to forget them nor take their sacrifice for granted.

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DEAR GOD THANK YOU FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR ARMED FORCES WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BLOG TODAY. BLESS ALL THOSE WHO ARE IN THE SERVICES AROUND THE WORLD TODAY FIGHTING FOR OUR WAY OF LIFE. BLESS THEIR FAMILIES HERE AT HOME WHO MISS THEM. CARE FOR THEM AND BRING THEM SAFELY BACK TO THEIR OWN LOVED ONES. WE ASK IT IN YOUR NAME, AMEN!

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You know, I have three grown daughters. I love them each with all of my heart. But can someone tell me why it is that when you and your daughters are basically the same size, that you can’t keep any clothes in your own closet??!! I mean really. Case and point. Yesterday, my daughter Johanna came over and asked me if I had some pants for her to wear because she needed them really bad for someplace she had to go. Well, as a mom I said yes I did. About an hour later, I watched as my last two pair of pants walked out the door without me and a pair of my shoes, and two of my tops. Those clothes left me with this message, “I’ll give them back when I’m finished.” I just sat there wondering what I was going to wear. Then, to my relief, I found a pair of beat up Capri pants in the back of my closet. I’m not giving those up. I tied them to me with a chain!

Last Christmas when offices have their Christmas parties, my daughter Jennifer was smiling and grinning on Facebook. She looked lovely to me, until I realized that the dress she was wearing was the one new one I had bought and had never worn. I don’t know how she got it out of the house without me seeing it! She was styling in it so daringly. She still has it and it’s May.

I bought five dresses last year. I usually wear them to church, so they don’t get a whole lot of wear from me. Well, Erika called me several times last year and early this year needing some dresses and shoes to wear for her business events. I had to threaten her to give me back just one of those dresses.

I am currently looking in a catalog to see how much a barrel and suspenders cost! Daughters, you gotta love ’em.